


The Silent Halls

by SuperSecretSquirrel (PeregrineDubh)



Series: Unkindness and Murder [2]
Category: Celtic Mythology, Preacher (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 22:36:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20496449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeregrineDubh/pseuds/SuperSecretSquirrel
Summary: The Grail has made a fatal mistake in stealing the souls of the Morrigan's lovers, and now something worse than all Hell is about to break loose.





	The Silent Halls

Tulip cursed and fought against the rope around her wrists and the two rednecks holding her. Jesse struggled against the cuffs that held him until Jody knocked him to his knees. The sky was full of the colors of dawn. The sun was about to peek over the trees upon them, and Cassidy was lying bleeding and chained in the open dirt of the yard. A lesson, his grandmother had said. 

The first ray of sun hit the vampire, and Cassidy screamed. The sound was echoed by Tulip and Jesse. The agonized cacophony was still nearly drowned by the raucous cawing of crows, as they whirled over the tree tops and into the yard in a roiling black mass. The watchers ducked as the crows dived and swooped. The largest bird, a raven not a crow, back-winged, form twisting, and black motorcycle boots hit the dirt. Massive midnight wings snapped out and curved around the burning form on the ground, shading him. 

The crows peeled away to alight in the trees, their voices falling silent. From his position Jesse could see Cass just past the Morrigan’s wing. The vampire’s mouth was locked on the wrist of the goddess, blood staining his chin, but he was no longer burning. As Jesse watched, the Morrigan straightened, her wings spreading once more. In a strangely unconnected moment, Jesse noted that her long black hair had been cut into a spiky mohawk that made her look like some sort of crazy punk angel. She left Cass whole and healthy, bathed in sunlight and turned to face Jesse and his kin. The incredible stretch of black feathers made her look larger, or maybe it was the feeling of rage radiating off her like heat from the pavement in the summer. Her arm snapped out to the side, and there was a sword in her hand. The leaf-shaped blade flashed down, cutting through the hardened chains that held Cassidy like they were butter. 

TC was the first to react. He brought his shotgun to bear, firing both barrels at the Morrigan. The Goddess of War and Death laughed, throwing her head back, and one of those huge wings lashed out, smacking TC across the yard as though she were swatting a fly. His body landed hard, and he didn’t rise again.

The Morrigan stalked towards Jesse with her gleaming sword still in hand. Jody moved to meet her, and Jesse had never seen anything like it. The Morrigan took his punch straight in the face without even flinching and grabbed the front of the big man’s overalls in her free hand. Her wings flexed, driving her forward and up. She used the motion to lift him from his feet and then slammed him down to the ground. Her other hand drove the gleaming sword through his abdomen sinking it deep into the earth. She rose, leaving him to twitch, pinned like a butterfly on a board. From nowhere the sword was replaced with a wicked looking black spear. 

“Stop!” Marie snapped the word. “You have no place here, shapeshifter.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, you withered old witch.” Morrigan leveled the spear at Jesse’s grandmother. “I was called here to free those you’ve trapped, and I will.” 

“The vampire you can have, but Jesse L’Angelle and his pretty little Tulip belong to me.” Marie narrowed her eyes at the woman standing tall in front of her. “Bound by blood, until death.”

“Blood cursed until death? Huh. That does limit my options.” The Morrigan lowered the spear, appearing to consider the problem. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to lift the curse?”

Marie snarled a negative and the Morrigan shrugged. “Oh well. Worth a shot. In that case…”

She spun, hurling the spear straight at Tulip with blinding speed. 

Jesse barely had time to register the wet thunk of the black weapon sinking home before something drove the breath from his lungs. He looked down at the large black feather sticking out of his chest like a dagger, and then back up. The Morrigan met his stricken gaze with her own pitiless stare. “Sorry, darling, blood curses are a bitch.”

The last thing he saw as blood filled his lungs and his vision began to go black was the Morrigan pulling her gleaming sword from Jody’s still body and turning on Marie. 

* * *

Waking up again hurt. Jesse’s lungs burned. His chest ached, and his mouth was full of the coppery taste of blood. He shot straight up to a sitting position.

“Whoa, Padre... “ Cassidy reached out to steady Jesse with a hand on his arm. “Easy t’ere. You’re alright. We’re safe now.” 

“Cass... “ Jesse looked around the bright, spacious bedroom, and then looked over at the vampire sitting beside the bed. “Where are we? Where’s Tulip?”

“We’re at Fox Hollow Farm in Virginia. Tulip’s takin’ a shower. She woke up about five minutes ago.” Cass gestured to the bathroom door. 

“How long has it been?” Jess scrubbed a hand over his face. He needed a shower too, and a toothbrush.

“About forty-eight hours. Morgan, t’at’s what the Morrigan is going by t’ese days, brought us here through the Summerlands. Makes traveling the distance a snap.” Cass explained. “Once we were here, she healed the two of you up, and brought you back. And chewed my arse for not calling her when Tulip was shot.”

Jess nodded slowly, processing the information. “Angelville?” 

“Wiped off the map, Padre. Morgan was right pissed, she was. Burned the whole damn place and everyone in it to the ground.” The vampire looked down at his hands. “I t’ink tis safe to say you’re ta last of your family still breathin’ as of two days ago.”

He looked up at Jesse again. “T’ere’s another bathroom across the hall in my room. I’ve got clean clothes for you here and t’ere’s toiletries in the bath. Why don’t you go clean up, and t’en the t’ree of us can go downstairs.”

Jesse threw the covers back. He was stripped to his boxer shorts, but at least he wasn’t naked. His feet hit the pale hardwood floor and he stood on legs that shook only slightly. He took the clothes Cassidy offered him and followed the vampire out of the room. They were on the second floor of the four square house. Three bedrooms extended off a central hall, with stairs leading up and down in the middle. The bathroom off of Cass’ bedroom was as bright and clean as the other rooms he’d seen, with a vinyl plank flooring the same shade as the hardwood in the bedroom, and a clawfoot tub with shower. Jesse took his time cleaning up, the hot water soothing his aching body. 

The first thing Jesse noticed as he came down the stairs with Tulip and Cassidy was a picture on the bookshelf, of the Morrigan with two others, a tiny woman with bright green eyes and long auburn hair and a well built blue eyed man sporting a five o’clock shadow and a riot of black curls. They were laughing in the picture, and their closeness and body language spoke of an intimacy far beyond friends. 

Jesse watched as Cassidy picked it up with a smile. “So where are Dev and Katy? Off on another adventure?” 

“They’re dead.” The Morrigan’s voice was quiet. 

“What!? When!?” Cass set the picture back down, moving into the kitchen to grab the knife from the goddess’ hands. He set it aside and turned her to face him. “I t’ought you’d shared your grace with them?”

“I had, Cass.” Jesse was shocked to see tears pooling in the eternal being’s eyes. “It happened two years ago. I was halfway across the world, at a firefight in Afghanistan, when someone attacked them. Katy called for me but by the time I could get back, they were both gone.” 

“Why didn’t you bring t’em back?” Cass looked stricken. Jesse knew that whoever these two had been, they’d been important.

“I _ couldn’t _ .” The tears spilled over slowly. “Whatever they did to my loves; they didn’t just kill them. They destroyed their souls. _ There was nothing to bring back _.” 

“Oh, Morgan, luv…” Cassidy wrapped the goddess in his arms. “Jaysus, I’m so, so sorry.” 

The Morrigan returned Cassidy’s hug for a long moment before pulling back. “Dinner is ready. I was just slicing the bread.” She patted his cheek fondly. “Why don’t you set out the plates, and I’ll be back in a minute.” 

Jesse watched from the archway as the Morrigan walked out of the kitchen, out onto the wide back porch. 

Cassidy stood stock still for another long moment before he moved to start pulling plates out of the cabinets. 

“Who were they?” Jesse moved to help. 

“Devin Hart and Kathleen Shea.” Cassidy handed the plates to the preacher. “They were Morgan’s husband and wife.” 

He busied himself gathering forks and knives. “Katy had been with her for two or t’ree centuries. Dev was a wee bit more recent. He joined them only about a hundred years ago, just before I met them. T’ey were all so happy together, so in love. Twas a beautiful t’ing. She shared her divine grace with t’em so they’d stay young and healthy.” He shook his head, remembering the times he’d been privileged enough to be allowed to share in the love between him. “Obviously they could still be killed, but she’s ta goddess of death, so it wasn’t like t’at was really a problem. Anything happened, she’d heal them up, bring t’em back, and t’ey’d go on.” 

Jesse laid the plates out on the table. “Cass… What if their souls weren’t destroyed? What if they were stolen?”

Cass froze. “Fuck me, Padre. Morgan would fuckin’ tear the world down around the ears of ta poor bastards t’at were stupid enough to steal Dev’s and Katy’s souls.” He shook his head. “We have ta tell her, but… I mean maybe t’ey weren’t stolen, but maybe t’ey were, and she didn’t know to go looking. I don’t know how she’d take t’at, and I don’t know what she’ll do.”

Morgan returned to the kitchen a short while later. “I imagine you’re all starving. Coming back from the dead is hard work.” Cassidy and Morgan transferred the beef and barley soup, green salad and fresh bread to the table. There was a tall opaque white glass of blood for Cassidy. The being sat down at the table with them, partaking in only a small bowl of soup and a slice of bread.

She smiled at Tulip when the woman sent her a questioning look. “I don’t actually need to eat but I enjoy the flavors.” 

“It is really good.” Tulip offered. The beef soup was rich, the salad crisp and well dressed and the bread perfectly baked. “You’re an excellent cook.  
“Centuries of experience.” Morgan laughed. “It’s a lot easier to cook these days then it was when I was cooking over a peat fire in an open pit.” 

After they finished, Cassidy hustled to pick up the dishes. “You cooked. We’ll clean up.” 

“Alright.” Morgan nodded. “I have something to do, if you don’t mind. You’re welcome to use the television and any of the movies. There’s also a library down the hall.”

The goddess disappeared down the hall. A short while later Jesse was on the deck smoking a cigarette when he saw Morgan with an old guitar in her hand. He stubbed out his smoke and moved to follow. 

She walked up the hill towards the little graveyard, the battered guitar in her hand. Coming to a halt next to the mausoleum she moved to open the doors. Stepping into the candle-lit room she sat on a bench at the foot of the twin biers. She settled the guitar into her lap. “I’m still not as good as you Dev, but I’ve been practicing.” She strummed a few chords on the guitar, and began to sing. “Walking past the graveyard, we’re holding in our breaths. It’s a long way to the corner, trying not to wake the guests inside the rows of mausoleums, the gate with iron wings...”

Jesse paused beneath the spreading branches of an old oak just outside the structure and listened to the goddess sing to her dead lovers. He wondered what sort of people they had been. It was obviously that she had loved them dearly. 

“Walking past the graveyard, another year has passed, and the breath that I’ve been holding is rising up at last. It burns through all the sadness, as breath just wants to spill. But if I’m breathing, then I’m talking, then I’m kneeling on the hill and saying… How I miss you. How I miss you. How I miss you still.” 

There was such a wealth of sorrow in Morgan’s low, clear voice that Jesse found his heart clenching and tears welling in his eyes. He moved up the two steps to the open doors. The warm glow of the candles glinted off the tears on Morgan’s cheeks, but what caught his attention were the two bodies laid out on the stone beds. After two years they should have decayed, but both looked as though they were living bodies, only sleeping. They were perfectly preserved, looking as though they could sit up any moment.

“I never took my grace back from them. Once I healed them and realized that there was nothing left of them to bring back, I couldn’t bear the thought of reabsorbing it. It was theirs. I have no right to it now.” Morgan didn’t look at him as she spoke. 

“Morgan,” Jesse looked at the grieving goddess. “What if; what if they weren’t destroyed? What if someone stole their souls?”

**Author's Note:**

> Morrigan's song is Walking Past the Graveyard by HEM.


End file.
